Loon and Moon

Loons Dance in the Moonlight

In late August I set out alone, canoeing under a full moon, as I often do. A good ways from shore I hear some splashing in the water and strain my eyes to see through the glow of the mist to what lies beyond. There in the moonlight, as if engaged in a sacred circle dance, seven loons face each other, fluttering their spread wings to keep their balance while hovering on the water’s surface with their feet and tails partially submerged. This vision stays with me for years, and eventually becomes the inspiration for “The Loon and the Moon.”